Kendrick Lamar Wins Pulitzer Prize

Kendrick Lamar has been awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music. He was given the prestigious honor for last year’s studio album DAMN., described by the Pulitzer Prize as “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”

DAMN. was critically acclaimed upon its release, and was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album (which it won) and Album of the Year (which it did not win).

Kendrick’s Pulitzer honor marks the first time a non-jazz or classical artist has won the award. Caroline Shaw, the 2013 winner, later went on to collaborate with Kanye West. Pulitzer Prize Administrator Dana Canedy spoke to Billboard about Kendrick’s win, revealing the debate that led to the unanimous decision to give DAMN. the prize.

I don’t know specifically what the piece was, but in
this case they were considering a piece of music they felt had hip-hop
influences and said, “Well if we’re considering a piece of music that
has hip-hop influences, why aren’t we considering hip-hop?” And
someone said, “That’s exactly what we should do.” And then someone
said, “We should be considering Kendrick Lamar” and the group said
“absolutely.” So then, right then, they decided to listen to the
entire album and decided “This is it.”

Kendrick recently appeared at Coachella, where he performed alongside TDE signee SZA and Vince Staples. It was announced last month that a cultural biography about the rapper is currently in the works.